You Already Have My Heart
by silverlover02
Summary: Modern day AU. Clove's the new girl in town. Unknowingly, she goes to the same school as one of the most popular boy bands in her generation. High school just got a whole lot more interesting.
1. Chapter 1

**Clove's POV**

_Beeeeeep_

My alarm went off bright and early. Today's the first day of my junior year. Sadly, I won't be attending Capitol Academy this year cause I had to move half way across the state to New Jersey. This year, I'll be entering Panem High, which is luckily just a few blocks away from the house my dad recently bought.

"Time to face reality, Clove. You won't be going back to California anytime soon."

Sighing, I got ready for school.

Once I was done, I headed down to the kitchen to get breakfast that smelled oh so divine.

"That smells great, mom!"

"Thank you, dear! I made your favorite since I know it's a big day!"

My mom's the best. I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.

"Where's dad?" I asked, noticing he wasn't at the table yet.

"He said he had to finish something first but he'll be down in a minute." She answered, still concentrating on making the perfect pancakes.

I heard someone heading down the stairs and knew instantly that it was my sister, Madeline. She tended to stomp around whenever she makes her way down the stairs.

"Beautiful day out, isn't it?" she said, sitting next to me, looking out the window while idly grabbing the plate of pancakes and bacon that was in front of her.

"Sure is. I hope that means luck is on our side today."

"I'm sure you'll both be fine. Now stop worrying and just dig in!" Mom ordered.

* * *

Seeing as I didn't' have a license yet, Maddie had to drop me off first before heading to NYU.

This school was huge. I seriously hoped I wouldn't get lost.

That was a given though. Obviously, with a school like this, it's impossible to not get lost on your first day. By the time I made it to the office where I was supposed to get my schedule, it was already quarter past 8. I only had fifteen minutes before first period.

"Hi. My name's Clove Kentwell."

"Ah. You're the new girl. I was wondering when you'd arrive. Well, seeing as you don't have much time left before the bell goes off, let Jackie show you around."

As if on que, on a red head stood from her seat and smiled at me.

"Hi I'm Jacqueline Finch but you can call me Jackie."

"It's nice to meet you, Jackie. I'm Clove." I said, accepting her outstretched hand and shaking it.

"We don't have much time left so we better get going. What's your first class?"

"Umm," I said, looking at my schedule. "History with Mr. Abernathy."

"That's great! We have the same class! C'mon! It's this way!" she sounds way too excited for the first day.

* * *

The day seemed to have zipped by fast. Before I knew it, it was time for lunch. Despite how quick it seemed to have come, I was starving. That was when I noticed _them_.

* * *

**AN: And that's the first chapter! This is my first multi-chapter fic so hope you like it! Reviews are love :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Clove's POV**

There was a lot of commotion in the cafeteria. I had no idea what that was about. Obviously because I'm new here. I don't exactly know much about this school yet.

"Jackie what's going on?"

"You don't know? Well then we'll have to squeeze in front so that you can see for yourself!"

With much difficulty, we finally made our way through the front of the crowd. What I saw wasn't exactly was I was expecting.

In the midst of the crowd, there was a group of five boys who were marginally the same height. Two guys had brown hair while the rest were blonds. However, there was one that stood out the most. He was the tallest out of all of them and the most built. He also had dazzling blue eyes which I could see, even in this distance.

"Who are they, Jackie?"

"Are you kidding me?! You honestly don't know who they are?! They are only D Boys!"

At first I didn't understand what she was saying. "What do you mean, _the boys_? I kinda got that they're boys, Jackie."

"No, silly! You've got it all wrong! I didn't say _the_ boys, I said D Boys. As in short for 'District Boys'. Don't tell me you've never heard of them?"

"Nope. I can't say that I have. Why? What's so special about them?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe cause they're one of the hottest bands in the whole world! They have amazing songs! Not to mention they write and compose it themselves."

I really had no idea what she was talking about. Maybe I live in another era (or possibly another dimension) because apparently, these guys are well known in this one.

A path was starting to form as 'D Boys' were walking towards the makeshift stage. No wonder there was a stage in the cafeteria. I thought it was a bit odd to have that there, especially since there's a fully functional auditorium not too far from here. That must have been made just for them for entertainment purposes.

"Hey everybody! How's the first day so far?" one of the blond guys, whom Jackie says is Peeta Mellark, asks. There was a collective scream of excitement from the crowd. They've obviously been waiting for this moment all day.

"Let's get this party started, shall we?" a guy named Marvel said.

Music started to fill the room and you can tell it was going to be crazy. What an eventful day this was turning out to be.

* * *

I only had three more classes left after lunch. During the second to last period, I noticed that one of the members from D Boys were in my class. As usual, I introduced myself to the class and was assigned a seat. And, being me, I was the lucky one chosen to sit next to him. This particular member was, who I later learned, the leader of the group, Cato Morgan.

* * *

**AN: Sorry it's a bit short! I'll try to update it during the weekend. Thank you for the reviews by the way! They really made my day! I really need encouragement after a long week of school. Please feel free to input ideas. I'm open to suggestions. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Clove's POV**

After school, I was introduced to some of Jackie's friends, Katniss, Annie and Madge.

"Hey Clove, we were heading to the bakery for an afternoon snack. Wanna come?"

"Sure. That'd be great!"

"C'mon then. Let's go!"

I found out a while later that we were at Peeta's family bakery. Here, we were served the best tasting sandwich I had ever had in my entire life (don't tell my mom!)

It was warm an cozy in here, just what you'd expect a bakery to feel like. It was a bit different from any other bakery I've ever been to seeing as they had booths as well as individual tables that seated two people. We sat at one of the booths so that we didn't have to put tables together and mess up the layout of the room.

Some time later the bell chimed behind me, signaling that a customer has entered the bakery. I turned to see none other than the band itself. Not that it was surprising. I mean, this bakery does belong to the family of one of the members.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Annie turn a slight shade of red. _Hmmm. I wonder what that's about?_

Before I had time to think about it, the group started approaching us.

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" Marvel said.

"Hey to you, too! How was the tour? You guys were gone all summer!" Jackie answers back. I just sat there, awestruck. Apparently she forgot to mention they were friends.

"It was amazing! The fans were crazy! In a good way, of course." Peeta responds, standing next to where Katniss was sitting.

"I'm glad you guys had fun. Now you're back in town. Back to the books, boys!" Katniss jokes, poking Peeta on the arm. Their laughter was echoing throughout the whole bakery.

"Yeah well I'm honestly glad to be back. It feels good to be at least a little bit normal again. Missed me, Annie?" Finnick, one of the other blond guys asked the now very red Annie.

Annie, despite her deep blush, smiles at this. Finnick makes his way towards her and sits next to her on the booth, pulling her closer and wrapping his arm around her waist in the process. Annie nuzzled her face in his neck and whispered, "of course I did, Finnick. I thought about you every minute of everyday."

"Awww. Aren't they just adorable?" Jackie coos at the lovebirds.

"Wait a second. I don't think I've ever seen you before." The tall, brown haired boy named Gale said, pointing at me.

"Oh I'm sorry. My name's Clove. I'm new here." I answered with a genuine smile on my face.

From the corner of my eye, I saw their tall, muscular leader look at me. When I glanced, I noticed he was staring. We gazed at each other for a second before I looked away, feeling self-conscious. I felt a shiver run down my spine from his gaze. He had the most amazing blue eyes I had ever seen in my life. _What am I saying? He's a super star. He'd never go for a girl like me. I'm a nobody._

* * *

When I got home, I talked to my mom a bit about my day. Since it was only the first day, the teachers decided to cut us some slack and give us at least another day free of homework. I was thankful for that. I went to my room and started playing with my guitar. It's been a while since I've used this thing. I started to get the hang of it again after a while and noticed that I had a good melody going on. I quickly went to get one of my songbooks in one of the boxes (that I had yet to unpack) and wrote the notes down. Not long after, I started to come up with lyrics that came with the tune. I was half way done with my new song when mom called me for dinner.

Afterwards, I went back up to my room to finish my song. About an hour went by with practically no progress whatsoever so I decided that it would probably be best if I called it a day. I was too tired from school to be able to think properly. I'll finish writing the song some other time once I have inspiration again. I'm never going to be able to sing it anyway, so what's the rush?

Just as sleep was about to claim me, the image of clear blue eyes flashed in my mind, sending me into a night of peaceful oblivion.

* * *

**R&R? :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE TALENTED, SUZANNE COLLINS.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Clove's POV**

As the days grew by, I became closer to the band, seeing as they were friends of my friends.

We hung out a lot, especially with Finnick. He was constantly at Annie's side, making sure she was okay and being a protective boyfriend. We clicked instantly and he became one of my best friends.

We were once again at the Mellarks' bakery, our official after-school hang out place. We even had a table we deemed 'ours'.

"So Clove, you want to come to the 'back to school' party the band is hosting this Saturday?" Finnick asked, wrapping his arm around Annie's shoulder, intertwining their fingers in the process.

"School started a month ago. Isn't it a bit late for a 'back to school' party?"

"Well, that may be true, little one, but it's the first party of the year so it could still be considered back to school. What do you say?"

I looked at everyone at the table. They were all staring at me, anxiously waiting for my reply. It's a bit creepy when you have 9 pairs of eyes looking at you at the same time. I feel as if I've been accused of a crime or something.

I take a deep breath before replying teasingly, "Why not? What's the worst that could happen?"

Everyone cheered and nodded in approval. I am honestly happy these people approved of me. I wasn't sure I'd fit in in this town. Luckily, this place has a lot of hospitable people. I can't wait for the party.

* * *

"C'mon, Clove! We're going to be late for the party!" Jackie exclaimed. It was true . We only had half an hour left to get to Marvel's house. It's a 20 minute drive to get there so I have no idea how we'll make it in time. The reason I took so long was because I honestly didn't know what to wear. I wanted to make a good impression, after all.

After I finally found the right outfit, I quickly put it on and rushed down the stairs, seeing a very impatient looking Jackie at the bottom of the steps.

"Sorry, Jackie! I lost track of time! I got carried away with reading that I forgot about the party."

"Ugh you can be such a nerd. That's fine and all but of all the days! You know what, I don't have time for this. I'll lecture you in the car. Hurry up! I don't want to be late! Those guys have a way of hosting a party and I don't want to miss a single second of it!"

We hurry to the car and she drives at top speed. Surprisingly, no one caught us. Jackie was _definitely_ over speeding. We get to Marvel's house with ten minutes to spare.

"I can't believe we made it!"

"I can't believe I'm still alive!" I joke. But seriously though, I thought I was going to die from the speed she was going at. I was so sure we'd get into an accident or get caught by the police because of her reckless driving.

"Oh hush you! We wouldn't have been in such a hurry had you just fixed your stuff before hand!"

"I said I was sorry! C'mon let's just go inside and have some fun!"

The party was being held at Marvel's backyard. Let me tell you, this place is _huge_! There were buffet tables on the right side with foldable tables and chairs near it. There was a dance floor and a stage in the far end of the yard. There was also a pool on the far left of the area with beach chairs and tables. It kind of reminded me of a resort. I have to say, they really know how to throw a party. The decorations, lighting, and basically everything was perfect.

When the ten minutes were up, the lights started to dim.

"It's starting!" Jackie said, squealing excitedly. Honestly, she's acting as if it's her first time being at a function like this. I highly doubt that, considering she's such good friends with the boys. I, on the other hand, should be the one jumping for joy at the privilege to be here.

"What's up everybody?" You can hear Marvel's voice booming in the backyard. Since it's dark, you can't see his face. There are silhouettes on the stage though, meaning the boys are already there and are just about ready to perform. "Let's get this party started!"

Screams could be heard from all around. Luckily Marvel's house (aka mansion) was far from civilization so hopefully no angry neighbors would come barging in anytime soon, demanding we cut the party short. I highly doubt that though. Even if their neighbors could hear this, I bet they'd be used to it by now. I wouldn't even be surprised if they were invited!

The intro started playing and I have to admit, I was getting pretty excited too.

_I played it safe_  
_I kept my foot up on the brake_  
_I never really took a chance in life_  
_And didn't live for today._

_Oh girl, and then I met you_  
_Opened my eyes to something new._  
_You know you set me free like no one else_  
_And got me actin' a fool._

_Don't you know changed my life,_  
_Girl cause now I'm livin'_  
_And it feels so right, yeah_

_[Chorus]_  
_You got my heart beat pumpin'_  
_And its going insane_  
_You got me jumping outta aeroplanes, whoa_  
_And that's why..._  
_I'm crazy its true_  
_Crazy 4 U_  
_You got me base jump livin'_  
_And I can't look down_  
_You know you short circuit my brain_  
_I can't lie..._  
_I'm crazy its true_  
_Crazy 4 U_

_Midnight dipping in the pool,_  
_Or sneaking out up on the roof_  
_You're unpredictable and girl that's what_  
_That's what I love about you_

_Don't you know you changed my life,_  
_Girl, cause now I'm livin'_  
_And it feels so right, yeah_

_[Chorus]_

_No I didn't lose my mind when I fell for you (without a parachute)_  
_And I'm gonna love you girl like you never knew (whoa)_

_Don't you know you changed my life_  
_Girl cause now I'm living_  
_And it feels so right, yeah..._

_[Chorus]_

I've got to hand it to them, they were pretty incredible. I wish I could perform like that. But unfortunately, because of my stage fright, I can't.

As the party continued, I started to mingle with my peers. I had a brief chat with Annie before Finnick swept her off to the dance floor. I also met a few other people whom I've seen in at school but never actually got the chance to talk to.

After a while, I got tired and decided to have a little bit of peace (not that you can have that at a place like this. The speakers were _loud. _What I meant was that I needed a little bit of 'me' time). I sat alone on one of the beach chairs by the pool relaxing and letting the music flow into my ears when I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up to see the blue eyes that I've been dreaming about ever since I first laid my eyes on them.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, motioning to the beach chair next to mine.

"No." I answered, barely audible. _Why am I so shy when it comes to him?_

We sat in silence for a while, just admiring the way the moonlight reflected on the pool.

"So, how're you enjoying the party so far?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"It's great actually. The performance you guys had was amazing." I answered sincerely.

"I'm glad you liked it." He smiled at me warmly, making me blush. "I'm going to go get some drinks. Would you like some?"

"Uhh. Sure. Non-alcoholic, please. My dad would kill me for underage drinking."

He laughed wholeheartedly before getting up.

Suddenly, the song that was playing in the background changed. It was one that I know of. Of course, being me, I instinctively started singing along to it.

_I went out last night_  
_I'm going out tonight again_  
_Anything to capture your attention (your attention)_  
_And she's a real sweet girl_  
_And you know I got a boy_  
_Details we both forgot to mention (forgot to mention)_

_And you, I always know where you are_  
_And you always know where I am_  
_We're taking it way too far_  
_But I don't want it to end_

_[Chorus]_  
_This kiss is something I can't resist_  
_Your lips are undeniable_  
_This kiss is something I can't risk_  
_Your heart is unreliable_  
_Something so sentimental_  
_You make so detrimental_  
_And I wish it didn't feel like this_  
_Cause I don't wanna miss this kiss_  
_I don't wanna miss this kiss_

_You know you're just my type_  
_And your eyes are lock and key, to my heart_  
_Tempting my confession (my confession)_  
_And you're a real hot thing_  
_But you know i've got a boy somewhere_  
_So can you feel the tension? (Feel the tension)_

_And you, I'm dancing to where you are_  
_And your dancing to where I am_  
_We're taking it way too far_  
_But I don't want it to end_

_[Chorus]_

_But if you ask me to_  
_I couldn't, I couldn't, I_  
_You're leaning closer and_  
_I shouldn't, I shouldn't, I_  
_But if you ask me to_  
_I couldn't, I couldn't, I_  
_I shouldn't, I shouldn't_  
_I don't wanna miss this kiss_

_[Chorus]_

_I wish it didn't feel like this_  
_I don't wanna miss this kiss _

After I finished singing, I heard clapping behind me. I looked to see who my audience was. Of course, it _had_ to be Cato. I blushed a deep shade of red, feeling embarrassed that someone had heard me singing. And a singer no less!

"Wow. You have an astounding voice." He complimented, handing me what I assume to be punch.

"Thank you. I've never actually sung in public before. Well.. I mean.. I have.. But not in a long time." I said, looking down at my drink still clearly embarrassed. I don't think my cheeks will be returning to their usual color anytime soon.

"Why not?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

He looked a bit disappointed at my answer but let it slide anyway.

"Would you care to dance?"

I looked at him as if asking if he was being serious. He had his arm outstretched, drinks forgotten at the table between our beach chairs. I really had no reason to refuse such an offer. "I would love to."

* * *

**AN: Just thought I'd post another chapter before getting back to my school work. I'll try to update more regularly. I can't make any promises though. Maybe reviews would help? ;)**

**The songs used were Crazy 4 U by R5 and This Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Clove's POV**

I have been having an amazing year so far. My relationship with the people from this town has escalated really quickly. I've only been here for a month but it feels like I've known these people my whole life. Everyone can read me like an open book, even Cato.

Ah, Cato. He has become one of my best friends ever since we spent time together at the party. We're also partners for Mr. Brutus's class, so that helped in the development process too. He often hangs out at my house whenever we have homework so that we can work on them together and help each other out if necessary. I've grown very comfortable around him, although I'm still rather shy at times considering I still have a huge crush on him. Not to mention my mother thinks he's, for the lack of a better word, hot.

One such day, we were working on our science fair project at my house. My parents weren't home yet, seeing as they both still have work and Maddie was still at NYU. We were looking for things around the house that we could use for our project. Afterwards, we proceeded to my room and sat on the floor to start on said project when he spotted my guitar poking out from under the bed.

"You play?"

"Huh?" I asked, turning towards him as I was previously examining what we had to work with. That was when I noticed he was talking about the guitar. "Oh yeah. But not so much anymore." I replied sadly, a slight blush penetrating my cheeks.

"Why not?"

I don't whether or not I should answer. I mean, don't get me wrong, I trust Cato with my life. It's just that this is a bit too personal and I'm not sure I'm willing to share it just yet.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me." He says, as if reading my mind. "I know your past is a sore subject for you. But Clove, just so we're clear, you can trust me. I'll always be here and ready to listen whenever you need me."

He is, quite honestly, the sweetest boy in the entire world. He may not look much, with his whole pop star/playboy attitude and outward appearance, but deep down he's just a regular guy who would do anything for his friends. I really don't know how I got so lucky to have someone like him in my life.

"Thanks, Cato. That means a lot."

"Anytime. Do you mind if I have a go at it though?"

"Sure go ahead."

He starts strumming the guitar with expertise. That's not surprising though since he's not only the lead vocalist but also one of the guitarists in the band. Actually, he can play any instrument he wants to without much effort. He's just naturally musically inclined.

As he kept playing, I noticed that it's not one of the songs I've heard of before. Not even in one of their gigs that they have every so often nor the occasional practices I've had the privilege of witnessing.

_I can feel you comin' from a mile away_

_My pulse starts racing from the words that you say_

_And you say so many of them like you don't have a clue_

_That I'm signed, sealed delivered with a stamp on_

He pauses for a second before continuing, this time it's a bit different._ Must be the chorus._

_Hold, hold, hold, hold me tight now_

_Cause I'm so, so good to go_

_Don't say Don't say good night you know_

_You had me hello (X3)_

_Don't say Don't say good night you know_

_You had me hello_

I stared at him, mesmerized at his beauty and style. The music flowed throughout the room smoothly. _This is probably one of their new songs._

The song ended way too quickly for my liking. As if on que, he said, "it's not finished yet. I'm still working on it."

"Well it sounds great so far. I'm sure it'll be a hit once you guys release it."

He had a small smile on his face, his eyes not wavering from the guitar in his hands. _At least he seemed to have appreciated my compliment. That was a good sign. But why did his smile look a bit forced? Come to think of it, the song sounded different from the ones they usually played. I can't put my finger on the reason though._

Before I could think deeper into it, I heard the back door open, followed by a shout. "Clove, I'm home! Hi, Cato!"

This caused us both to laugh. She most likely recognized the car parked out front.

We gathered our stuff before descending the stairs.

We both greeted mom simultaneously. "Hi mom." "Good afternoon, Mrs. Kentwell."

"Hey kids. Are you both too busy with homework or are you free enough to help me make dinner?" Despite her accusing tone, you could tell she was just messing with us.

We helped mom prepare dinner since both Maddie and dad would most likely be home within the hour, seeing as it was already past 5pm. They're always starving by the time they get home.

"Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed suddenly, dropping her kitchen knife on the chopping board in the process. This got both of our attention. "How silly of me to forget! Cato, dear, why don't you have dinner with us?" If mom didn't look so serious, I would think she was joking. You see, despite how many times Cato's been to my house, he always leaves right before dinner since he has band practice every night at Gale's house. They converted their basement into a sound-proof music room just for the band.

"I'd be honored, Mrs. Kentwell. Thank you for the invitation." He answered with a charming smile on his face. I stared at him, wide eyed with my mouth wide open. I swear I felt my jaw drop all the way to the floor.

"Clove, honey, please close your mouth. It's rude and very unladylike." She said, a small smile playing at her lips. Cato just laughed at me before resuming with his cooking.

As expected, about half an hour later, Maddie and dad arrived home. We ate dinner the usual way, albeit the beginning was a bit awkward. After a while, they started to grow more comfortable with Cato at the table and started including him in the conversation. By the time dinner was over, he could have been considered part of the family. That thought sort of made me blush. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed.

He bid my family good-bye shortly afterwards as he was still due at the Gale's. He insisted on helping mom clean but mom said that it's impolite to let the guest clean up or do house work in general. Ironic how she would say that after she turned him into a slave earlier today to prepare dinner.

"You're family's nice. They're really warm and inviting. Not to mention funny." Cato said as we were walking back to his car.

"Yeah they are. I wouldn't want to change anything about them. Well, except maybe their meddlesome attitude sometimes." I said jokingly. He seemed to have appreciated it and laughed along.

After he put his stuff in the trunk, he went back to where I was standing. Suddenly, he leaned forward and kissed my right cheek. I felt myself blush at the contact. I hope it was too dark for him to see.

"I had a great time tonight. Thanks again." He said, making his way back to his car. Before he got in, he bid me farewell saying, "Good night, Clove. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he got in the car and drove off.

I was left standing there like a love struck puppy, staring at the direction to which he had gone to. Today was definitely one of the best days of my life.

* * *

**AN: Ok technically I shouldn't be online seeing as I have exams this week but the emails I kept receiving were making it hard to resist. I was planning on posting this on the weekend but because of the positive reviews and follows, I've decided to give you guys a little reward. Big thanks to those who have been reviewing this story! You guys have no idea how giddy I feel whenever I read your reviews and how much encouragement it gives me. At least I know my efforts being put to waste.**

**Thoughts? :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Cato's POV**

I cannot believe I just did that. I mean, I guess I've always had a soft spot for Clove but I wasn't supposed to kiss her. _Get over yourself Cato. It's not like she acted as if she didn't like it._

I made my way to Gale's house just a tad bit slower than usual. My head was thinking of a million different things at the moment and I didn't want to get into an accident. Once I finally got there, I rang the doorbell and was greeted by Marvel.

"It's about time! We thought you were gonna ditch us for Clove!"

"Ha! As if"

We made our way to the basement where everyone else was waiting.

"Hey, Cato! Nice of you to show up! How was dinner?" Finnick asked, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly.

"It was fun actually. Her mom's a great cook. Everyone was very welcoming as well so that was nice."

They were all looking at me with wide grins on their faces. To be honest it was freaking me out.

"What?"

"Dude, as your best friend, let me be the first to say this. You've got it bad." Marvel said, with a very serious look on his face even but you could tell he was trying to hold back his laughter. I looked at him, a bit surprised at what he was implying.

"What are you on about?"

"Don't even try to deny it, Cato. It's written all over your face." Peeta said. It's the first time he's spoken all night. Then again, Peeta always has his moments of silence.

"What are you guys even talking about? I'm not denying anything! You know what, let's just get to work. We have a concert in two weeks. We still need to work on a few songs before then, not to mention we still have to finish other songs we've already started on." With that, everyone went back to their usual places and started playing. I was a bit distracted throughout rehearsal though. _Was it true? Was I really that obvious? I mean sure, I've never actually felt like this about anyone before and I don't really know how I'm supposed to act but still. I thought I was doing a pretty good job at hiding it. Guess not. If they sensed it, who's to say no one else has? Ugh. This is so frustrating._

* * *

Our two weeks were up. It was finally Friday. The boys and I were throwing a party before heading off to the West Coast to start our tour. We were going to be away from school for a while. Luckily it was almost Christmas so we'd only miss the last three weeks of school before the holidays. There was still a big possibility we'd be able to catch up. Besides, since Gale's dad is the principal of the school, we're practically excused from school. Sometimes, if the work was really important, we'd receive the details for it via email and we'd have to submit whatever we had to by the end of the week. We were, in a way, sort of at an advantage since we had an extra 5-6 days to work on it, unlike the kids in our school wherein they had to complete the tasks overnight.

This time, the party was happening at Finnick's house. Since his family is filthy rich, with his parents being founders of O'dair Inc. mixed with his own wealth from being a celebrity, it's no wonder they own one of the biggest mansions in town. Even during winter, people still opted to celebrate outside. Who knows what goes on through these peoples heads.

An hour into the party and I had yet to find her. You see, ever since the 'back to school' party at Marvel house, I always hung out with Clove for at least half an hour in every party. It kind of became a tradition of sorts. This wasn't an exemption. I was sure she'd be here by now. She's never actually late for these kinds of things. Well, she's never late, period. Maybe she's just so short I can see her through the midst of all these people. I was still searching for her when my view of the crowd was blocked by a tall, fair skinned girl with blonde hair that flowed down in curls.

"Hey Cato. Long time no see." She said

"Hi Glimmer. Yeah it has been a while, hasn't it." I answered absentmindedly, not really looking at her, instead opting to try to look past her.

"Well, you know me. Always busy. What with all these modeling trips I've had to take. Did you know I'm homeschooled now?"

I really couldn't care less about how her life has been. This girl has been after me for years. I mean, sure she's pretty and all but she's just not my type. Well, okay that's a bit of a lie. She used to be my type before I saw Clove. Speaking of which, I still haven't found her. And with Glimmer in the way, I'll never be able to find her.

Glimmer was saying something about how her life has been since leaving school and working as a model but I tuned her out. I finally found what I was looking for. I should've known she'd be with Jackie. Her red hair was hard to miss, no matter what distance you're in. Should've just looked for her instead. Clove would always be close behind anyway.

"Will you excuse me?" I said, taking my leave, gently pushing her aside. As I was making my way towards Clove, I noticed that she turned and saw me too. The smile etched on her face was captivating. I couldn't help but smile as well. I was only a few feet away from her when I felt someone pull me back. Before I had time to react, I felt a pair of lips touch mine. I pushed her away immediately but when I turned back towards Clove, I saw her running to the other direction, back towards the front door. _Oh this can't be good._

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the wait! I'll try to update again soon but I can't promise anything! I have a hectic week ahead. Luckily, the term ends in 3 weeks. I'll be able to write more during the first week of September but that's about it. My school doesn't really have the concept of 'break' so yeah.**

**Thanks a bunch for the reviews! Keep them coming! Love you all! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: SAME AS USUAL.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Clove's POV**

I can't believe that just happened. I honestly don't want to believe what I just saw.

Was that really Cato and Glimmer? Were they an item? How could I have not seen this coming? How could I have been so stupid. So naive.

All I want to do is crawl into a hole so that no one would be able to see me.

I didn't even know Glimmer lived in this town. Had I known, I would've thrown a fit at moving here. Why does she always seem to ruin everything I have?

I quickly made my way to the front yard, dialing the number I knew by heart.

"Maddie, can you pick me up? I'm at Finnick's house. Yeah that's the one. I'm fine, Maddie. Can you just come here quickly? It's getting cold. You do know it's winter right? Yeah, yeah I'll wait patiently like a good little girl. Love you. Bye."

Maddie arrived at 10 minutes later. Luckily no one seemed to have noticed I left early. _Not even Cato. _Stop it, Clove. He doesn't like you that way. He has _Glimmer_ after all.

Maddie tries talking to me but I pay no attention to her. After 5 minutes of pestering me, she finally gives up. When we got home, I got out of the car, said a quick thanks to Maddie for picking me up and went straight to my room.

I slammed my door shut, hoping everything that happened outside wasn't real. I know deep down that it was but I just wanted to forget everything.

As I was slouched on the floor, I saw my guitar peeking out from underneath my bed. I decided to pick it up and played it.

_ I thought  
We were unstoppable, yeah  
I felt  
It's undeniable that  
Anyone  
Could see I was so in love with you, yeah_

_I thought we'd always be happy, happy_  
_I thought you'd always be good for me_  
_Guess I was wrong_  
_Guess you'll always be my happy, happy, happy never after_  
_Happy never after_  
_(yeah yeah yeah yeah)_

_Maybe_  
_You're not good for me_  
_But baby_  
_No, oh I don't need ya_  
_Now I see_  
_So clearly_  
_It's time to let you go oh yeah_

_I thought we'd always be happy, happy_  
_I thought you'd always be good for me_  
_Guess I was wrong_  
_Guess you'll always be my happy, happy, happy never after_

_Da da do da da da do [x3]_  
_Oh, oh happy (happy)_

_I thought we'd always be happy, happy_  
_I thought you'd always be good for me_  
_Guess I was wrong_  
_Guess you'll always be my happy, happy, happy never after_

_I thought we'd always be happy, happy_  
_I thought you'd always be good for me_  
_Guess I was wrong_  
_Guess you'll always be my happy, happy, happy never after_  
_Happy, happy, happy never after oh oh_  
_Happy, happy, happy never after [x3]_

_Happy never after_

After singing my heart out, I felt a little bit better. Did I mention I just wrote an entire song? Yeah, that's how bad this is. I wrote the lyrics down so that if I ever felt the need to sing it again, I could. I put the guitar back in its case and placed it under the bed before getting dressed and passing out on the bed. That night, I had the worst dream ever. This consisted of mainly Cato and Glimmer wrapped around each other as if their life depended on it.

* * *

The Monday following that incident, I really didn't want to go to school. I was really tempted to call in sick. However, being the good student that I am, no matter how many problems I have to face, I get up anyway and get ready for school. I can't be absent just because I was afraid of facing Cato. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this day.

I got up, got ready and headed went to school as per usual. Once I got there, I was relieved. The school was still as noisy as could be but it wasn't the same kind of noise you'd hear on a daily basis.

How could I forget? The whole reason they had a party in the first place was sort of a send off as they were going on tour again. That means I won't have to see him til January! Oh I could just die of ecstasy!

I still had to face the girls though. They were probably aware I left the party early. This is still going to be a long day.

* * *

The girls, although tried as they might to question me, didn't get me to budge. After the first few attempts that led to failure, they gave up. I could, however, tell that they were far from done. They'll probably just wait for a time of vulnerability.

I left school right after the last bell rang. I didn't go straight home though. I needed to get away for awhile. Maybe a stroll in the park or at the mall just to clear my head a little. If I stayed at home, I would most likely end up throwing stuff in my room and potentially breaking them. At least at the park, there would be other people and I wouldn't have to be left on my own. I also have the benefit of getting a bit of fresh air for a while.

Once I got there, there weren't that many people. That was to be expected though. Who in their right mind would go to the park at winter when it's freezing cold out and there aren't any animals to feed or play with? Apparently someone like me who is practically asking for a death wish.

I decided to jog a little, just to warm myself up. I was so immersed in the song that I was listening to that I didn't realize there was another person coming from the other direction. We bumped into each other, the impact making us both fall.

"Oww. Oh I'm so sorry!" the person whom I've crashed into said.

"It's alright. I'm sorry t-" I said, my sentence cut short by what I see to be the most beautiful eyes I've ever laid my eyes on. The same eyes I've been dreaming of these past few months. The deep blue color that reminds me of the clearest sea. The eyes that make me weak and vulnerable. The eyes that I refused to look at because of all the emotions it leads to. The eyes of none other than Cato Morgan.

* * *

**AN: Personally, I don't really like this chapter. I don't know. I guess I've been running short on ideas. I mean, I still have some but I'm not sure how to get there yet. You could say this is more of a filler chapter. Good news is, classes have been suspended for the day due to "inclement weather" (I live in a tropical country and it's the rainy season) so I have time to write a bit more but I still have to edit it so I might not be able to post it until a much later time. I also still have loads of homework to work on since it's the last few weeks of the term (final push!). I will try to write more but I can't promise anything. Hopefully I'll be on break for the first week of September so I might be able to publish regularly by that time but that's the all! The second week, I have to go back to school (since it's trimestral, I only get a week off. boohoo).**

**Thank you again for the reviews. Please keep them coming! I need inspiration (and quite frankly, ideas)! :))**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Clove's POV:**  
I shook my head and blinked a few more times. What I saw relieved me of sorts. The person looking back at me was NOT Cato himself. It was a girl who looked considerably younger. Her hair was a dark shade of blonde, a little bit close to brown. Aside from her eyes, she looked nothing like Cato at all.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hand outstretched to help me up.

"Yeah I'm fine." I replied, grabbing her hand and pulling myself up. "Thanks. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"It's alright. Neither of us were. That's kind of why we bumped into each other. I'm Christine by the way. But you could call me Chris."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Clove."

* * *

We talked for a bit after that encounter. She has told me a considerable amount of information for someone whom you've just met. For one, I know that she is one among five children in her family. She has 2 sister and 2 brothers, one of whom is her twin. Her parents are really famous, their father being a hollywood director/producer and mother, a world renowned designer. She lives with her siblings, her older sister being their caregiver and mother-figure. Their parents have an apartment in New York which they go to every once in a while to have family gatherings but other than that, they're usually in California doing work. She's currently in 8th grade although she could definitely have passed for someone older. She was very mature for her age. The fact that she was taller than me also gave me the impression that she was already a high school student. More than an hour had passed before we realized the time.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it's this late already! I promised Carissa I'd be home by 5! I have to go! I'm so sorry! Maybe we could meet up again some time? I'll give you my number." she said in such a hurry I barely had time to register what she was saying. Nevertheless I gave her my phone and let her type her number down while I did the same on hers.

"Perfect. I'll see you around, Clove. Nice meeting you!"

"Bye! Take care!" I was already shouting because she was getting so far. Boy, that girl could run!

I headed home shortly after she left. I was exhausted. I guess going to the park during winter was a great idea after all. I had met a new friend. Someone who probably won't judge me as harsh as people my age would. The moment I closed my eyes to rest, I saw _him_ again.

* * *

The last few weeks flew by in a blur. Before I knew it, it was already Christmas break. I was so happy to finally be free from all the work for two weeks. At least now I'd be able to have a little time for myself.

The first few days of the vacation was really boring. I literally had nothing to do at home. I mean, I occasionally hung out with Jackie and the others but they had to leave to go visit other relatives for the holidays. So here I was, all by my lonesome. _Again_.

Christmas came and went. My friends gave me awesome gifts, believe it or not. Most of them were things I could really use while others *coughboyscough* were just more of practical joke stuff.

Just as I was walking home after a stroll around the neighborhood, I heard my phone ringing in my bag. I dug through all my stuff and with much difficulty I finally found what I was looking for.

_Hey Clove! I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after school? _the text from Chris read. I quickly replied a '_sure. Heading to the park now. See you in a bit!_'

I didn't have to wait long. Chris arrived 2 minutes after I got there. We walked around the park for about 10 minutes before she decided it was too cold to be out in the park.

"Hey you wanna go to the mall or something? It's freezing out here!"

"Sure. But I don't have a car though."

"Oh, we could ask my sister to drive us! Our house isn't far from here. I bet she'd love to come shopping. She can't wait to meet you! I told her all about you, you see." This girl is just so bubbly it's impossible to say no. A bit reluctantly, we headed to her house.

* * *

Once we got there, she unlocked the door and ushered me inside. This place was huge! Well, I guess having rich parents can do that.

"Make yourself at home! I'll be right back."

I sat down on their large, u-shaped sofa. This place really screamed "Hollywood". The ceiling was really high. The house was at least 4 stories tall. They had a huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall with speakers around the room for surround sound. There were movie posters and instruments scattered around the room. I can see a portraits a little way off on the other side of the room, probably individual pictures of the children, one for the parents and one as a whole family. From this distance, I can see that there was at least one that contained a lot of people in it. I didn't want to snoop around though because I feel it would be invasion of their privacy. There was a glass door that lead to the yard which had a pool (with a slide!) and a playground not far from it. I snuck a peak out back. Whenever I see these kinds of houses, I feel as if I never left California. There, I only saw big houses from the outside. The houses I've been to here are so much more elite looking than the ones back there. Maybe cause I was never actually close to anyone who was famous or had a famous family.

"Chris, is that you?" I heard someone shout. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere below. The basement, probably? I turned towards the direction of the voice.

"Hey Chris, can you help me with th-" the person stopped midsentence, noticing that it was not only Chris who had entered the house and that she wasn't exactly present at the moment.

I stared wide-eyed at the person in front of me. _Oh no. What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**Sickle for your thoughts? :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Clove's POV**

We were both speechless for second until he decided to break the silence.

"What are you doing here?" Cato asked in a tone I've never been spoken to before. To be honest it was kind of frightening. I tear my eyes away from him, opting instead to look at my shoes which have all of a sudden become very interesting.

"Chris insisted I come here with her to ask your sister if she'd be willing to take us to the mall."

He stared at me blankly for a second. "How do you even know my sister?"

"I met her at the park a few weeks ago. " I answered in a sort of whisper, still not daring to look at him.

"Is that so? I always knew she'd bump into someone one day if we kept allowing her to wander off on her own. I should scold Cameron for that. I told him to keep an eye on her. No matter. At least she has great taste in people." I blushed a little at this comment. _What are you doing Clove? You're supposed to be mad at him for toying with you! You shouldn't give in so easily!_

"She does, doesn't she? Well, I should probably go. Tell Chris I'm not really feeling well and that I'll go with her some other time." I said, walking away from him. I take my coat from the rack by the door and got ready to take my leave.

"Wait! It's freezing out. I'll take you home."

My brain was sending me a million signals telling me to decline his offer in every possible way but as soon as I opened the door, all thoughts rushed out of my system, seeming to have gone with the wind. The cold air made me shiver. Unfortunately, Cato saw this little involuntary movement and closed the door abruptly. Before I even had time to protest, he had started pulling me towards what I assume to be the garage door.

Once he opened the said door, I was once again awestruck. I honestly have no idea why this keeps happening anymore. Chris already told me her whole family background and quite frankly, her whole life story. She did, however, forget to mention that her brother was also famous and can afford to buy all of these himself without the assistance of his parents. This has got to be the biggest (private/household) garage I've ever been to in my entire life. There were 7 cars lined up. All of them were obviously well taken care of as they were all sparkly clean. There was one van, most likely what they use when they go out on 'family outings' as Chris had put it. There was a silver convertible, two sports cars, one in red and one in blue, a light blue four-seater car, a silver seven-seater car and a truck. That one was probably for the band whenever they needed to transport instruments from one place to another.

"Like what you see?" he teased. It was almost as if we were back to our usual selves.

"Oh be quiet you. Why would you need these many cars anyway?"

"Our parents gave us these for our birthdays. Says we have to be ready for when the time comes and that it's better to have several options to choose from in case one of them malfunctions. But who knows what they're thinking, really." He pauses for a second, admiring their cars. I swear boys are so obsessed with these things. "Which one do you want to take?"

"Ummm. How about the usual?"

"Convertible it is." He said before heading to the rack and grabbing the keys. At least he knows what I'm talking about. He does, after all, drive me back home from school almost everyday. _That was before he pulled his little stunt, of course._

The car ride was a bit awkward. How were you supposed to act around the person who practically cheated on you? I shouldn't even be in the same vehicle with him in the first place! I really don't know what I was thinking when I agreed for him to take me home. _Oh right, I didn't have a choice because he dragged me into their garage, not to mention it's freezing outside. I'd be turned into a Clove-cicle in a heartbeat._

Trying to escape the deafening silence, Cato decides to turn the radio on. A Katy Perry suddenly starts blaring from the speakers. Cato sings along, completely out of tune and singing with a forced falsetto. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Please stop!" I manage to say in between my fits of laughter.

"Why, Miss Kentwell? You don't like my singing? I thought I was doing a pretty good job at being Katy Perry. "

"Well, Mister Morgan, I think you have overestimated your abilities. You will never be good enough to be the next Katy Perry."

"Ouch. You wound me, Clove. It has always been a dream of mine to become the next Katy Perry but alas, you have crushed it. You should be ashamed of yourself! Not only have you insulted a man for his talent but destroyed his dream as well!"

I couldn't help it. He was being so dramatic I had to laugh. "Stop whining and keep driving. Besides, aren't you already a famous singer?"

He seemed to be thinking a bit before a huge grin appeared on his face. Way to boost his already huge ego, Clove. "That's right. I am, aren't I? And you should be honored that I was kind enough to assist you home."

"Oh please, you're the one who dragged me to the garage, practically harassing me! If anything, as of this moment, you're my personal driver!" I was definitely pushing some buttons with this. Oh well. I'm just teasing him.

"Driver?! Is that what you think of me? You take that back, Clove!"

"No, I don't think I will." I teased him further.

"Take it back."

"No."

"Take it back."

"No."

"Back."

"No."

"Back."

"No."

"Back."

"No."

"No."

"Not going to work."

"Damn. Fine. I'll be your driver. But I expect a raise!"

"I never paid you in the first place!"

"Oh. Well then we should change that! I expect to at least be given a proper thank you."

"Fine. I'll do part of your homework. But that's it. I'm not doing the whole thing."

"Oh come on! You can do better than that, Clove! I am using up precious time and money here! Do you know how expensive gas is? Not to mention how busy I am! My time is golden!"

"Take it or leave it, Cato. I'm not going to bargain with you."

"Fine. Deal." He huffed. A second later, a grin was once again plastered on his face. Even if he won't admit it, he's still happy I'm going to be doing part of his homework. At least he knows he's going to have a decent grade no matter what. Not that I'm bragging or anything.

The rest of the ride consisted of us just chatting as usual, bickering a bit in between. I guess this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for us.

* * *

**Review?**

**How about this, if I get at least 10 reviews per chapter, I'll make at least 2 updates a week (or at least on the week wherein I received 10 reviews from 10 different people). Sound like a plan? The more reviews I get, the faster I update! :)**

**Oh and thanks a bunch to those who have been reviewing! I'll try to input as many of your ideas as I can. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Cato's POV**

I got home pretty late that day. Clove and I made a few detours on the way to her house. Partially because we were hungry and partially because I wanted to spend more time with her. After that, I took the long way home just so that I had a few more minutes to process everything that's happened today. When I noticed it was getting close to dinnertime, I decided it was time to go home. Coleen **(AN: She's the older sister. I changed her name because I just thought of something as I was writing this. You'll find out in a later chapter, if you don't notice it yourself ;) **would have my head if I was late for dinner _again_. You see, we have this tradition wherein no one can touch their food unless everyone is at the table. Since I only eat dinner with them during the weekends, it's pretty special. You can see where I'm heading, yeah?

"Where have you been mister?" Chris asked the moment I opened the door. Funny, you'd think she was older than I was, the way she's acting. It also seemed as if she was waiting for me. Ugh. Great. An interrogation.

"I drove Clove home. She said she wasn't feeling well. She also said she'd call you whenever she's up for a shopping date."

"You know Clove?"

"Yeah. She and I go to the same school and have a few classes together."

"That's it?"

"Well, she's sort of my friend. We hang out a bit after school sometimes with the rest of the gang." understatement of the century, buddy.

She stared at me for a minute. It was kind of scary to tell you the truth. It was as if she was judging me or something. The next thing that happened freaked me out even more. She started grinning like the cheshire cat, all knowing and evil looking.

"What?"

"You like her, don't you?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Oh nothing. There's just something different about you, that's all."

"What?" now I'm really confused.

"Time for dinner! Did anybody set the table?" Coleen yelled from the kitchen.

"I'm on it!" with that, Chris made her escape, winking at me before departing. I really don't understand what that girl's thinking half the time. You know what, scratch that. I don't understand her way of thinking at all. With a sigh, I headed to the dining room to have dinner with my family (aka my siblings).

* * *

It was finally time to go back to school. I don't really know if I'm excited or not. I just know that I can't wait to see Clove again (and the others as well, of course). The band and I had a brief meeting the night before on what song we were going to perform at the cafeteria today. We decided to go use one of our new songs to sort of symbolize the start of the year. I think this is the first time I'm actually marginally excited to go back to school. Man, I've really got it bad, haven't I?

I got up bright and early that day. Good thing too. When I got upstairs (my room is in the basement. Funny huh? The house has four floors yet I still have to stay in the basement. I like it better there though. It's a lot more private, and not to mention colder) to eat breakfast, I saw a note Coleen left on the counter saying that she had to leave for work early cause she had a meeting and that I had to take the others to school. If I had gotten up at the usual hour, we would've ended up being late. All three of them got down about 5 minutes after I did, with Cam, Chris's twin, carrying Charlie, my youngest sister.

"Morning guys. Cole left early so I have to take you to school."

"Yay! Kitty drive!" Charlie said, clapping her tiny hands. I don't know why she gets so excited whenever I drive her around. I guess she thinks I'm a better driver than Coleen (and way cooler as well). Ha! Take that sis! You aren't always the best after all!

* * *

Surprisingly, I was still early for school even after I dropped them all of. Then again, their schools were relatively close to each other. Only mine was a bit of a distance away from the middle school. I parked at my usual spot and saw Peeta's car nearby. Always the good boy, that one.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was shocked when I entered through the school doors. And for once, it's not because of my fame.

"Cato?! Is that really you? It's only 8:30! You're like, a whole half hour early! Is there an apocalypse?" Katniss said. Obviously, people think I'm incapable of coming to school early. Then again, I usually arrive either at exactly 9 or a little bit close to it, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Depends on my mood, really. I guess it's not really surprising that they would react that way. Let's just say the earliest I've ever been to school before today was a whole 5 minutes prior to 9am.

"Great to see you too, Katniss. Where're your friends?"

"Friends or friend in particular?" she asked with a smirk on her face and eyebrows raised. I swear, people in this neighborhood are creepy.

"Just answer the question."

"Jackie has a club meeting, Annie and Madge are at cheer practice and Clove's on her way."

"Excellent. Are the guys here yet? Except for Peeta. I already saw his car. Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"

"I don't know. They're your friends. I don't keep tabs on them. Peeta's said he had to take care of something before class. Gale's probably around here somewhere. I saw his dad a few minutes ago. They usually arrive shortly after the other."

"Alright. I guess I'm stuck with you then." I said, pretending to sound dejected.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" she retaliated, slapping me hard on the arm.

"Ow! That hurts you know!"

"Oh don't be such a baby, Cato!"

"I'm not! It really did hurt! I wouldn't be surprised if a hand print appears on my arm."

We kept bickering until we heard a faint giggle coming from behind us.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt your little banter. Please don't stop on my account." I felt a faint blush rise to my cheeks. I can't believe she heard all that. How long has she been standing there? Did she hear me complain about being hit by a girl? Wait, why do I even care? Oh right. Cause that's a big bruise to my ego. Not to mention this was Clove we were talking about.

"Hey, Clove! I haven't seen you in forever! How've you been?" Katniss, who wasn't as flustered as I, decided to start a conversation with her.

"I'm great actually! Christmas wasn't as eventful as one would think. Just opened a few presents, ate and watched movies with my family. Same old, same old. How was yours?"

"Amazing! My grandma makes the most amazing food you could possibly dream of! I never wanted to leave the kitchen, much less Chicago!"

They continued catching up while I watched. Well, stared actually. I couldn't help it. She was just so pretty. The way she talked, laughed and smiled made me feel all warm inside. I'm turning into such a sap. Note to self, stop hanging around with Coleen and Chris so much. Instead, start having more man-to-man time with Cameron. Yeah. That's what I should do. Obviously hanging with the boys is not enough cause the girls would always find a way to tag along *coughFinnickandPeetacough*.

A few minutes later, the bell finally rang. We parted ways, seeing as I don't have the same homeroom as either of them. I'll be seeing Clove later for English, Science and Drama anyway.

The day was starting out a bit uneventful until the Drama, the period right before lunch. I was sitting on my usual spot beside Marvel who was behind Annie who was beside Clove. In other words, I was sitting behind Clove. Anyway, the teacher, Mr. Anderson, announced that we'd be having a 'new' student in our class starting today. The entrance of the said person changed the ambiance of the whole room. It wouldn't take a scientist to tell that this was going to be such an eventful year. A year oh so full of drama, indeed.

* * *

**AN: As promised! Here's the second chapter for the week! Thank you for the lovely reviews! Don't forget to review this one! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Clove's POV**

"Oh my gosh it's really her!"

People were chattering left and right. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but scowl. I should've known she was coming back to school. I guess her mother thought it was acceptable for her to start attending school again instead of solely focusing on her career. Maybe she was getting dumber than she already was. You can't really get that far in life without a proper education, even if you are a model or a celebrity.

"Isn't this great?" I heard my seatmate, Gina, whisper to her friend beside her. "It could be just like old times? The golden couple of Panem High are both back!" There was lots of squealing happening in the classroom. Personally, I think it's sickening and deafening.

_So Glimmer had a boyfriend, huh. Figures. Wait, it couldn't be Cato could it? They were, after all, cosy at Finnick's party. And Gina did say they were 'both' back_. I physically tensed at the thought. I guess it was too much to hope that we'd actually work out. Again, I've just let myself down. _That's just another thing she had that you don't. I'm getting really tired of this girl._

"Settle down, class. I suppose you don't need to do the introduction then, Miss Valentino. You were here last year, after all. Just take a seat over there beside Mr. Morgan."

The squealing grew louder. That was enough confirmation for me. Glimmer, apparently, didn't think so. As she was making her way to her seat, she winked in my direction with a smug smile on her face before sitting on the seat beside the one behind me. I bet you anything she was flirting with him at this moment. The thought made me sick to the stomach.

"Okay, class. Settle down! First thing's first, welcome back! To start the year off, the drama department would like to have a play." Groans were coming from every direction in the room.

"Settle down! I know, none of you like very passionate about acting but we, my co-teachers and members of the drama club, have decided that we're doing more of a musical. We noticed that the kids these days like it better when lines are sung, not said. So we decided that as part of your final grade for the semester, we would like to invite you all to watch the musical hosted by the drama department. You are also required to perform one song in which you will be evaluated by your peers." More groaning came from the students. "Okay, okay. Enough. It has already been decided. Everyone who is taking up drama this semester is required to do this as well so you won't be alone. Did I mention I'm giving an A as the final grade, should your song be chosen for the musical or if you, yourself, decide to participate in it?" Cheerful chatters were now the response towards the recent news. "Are there any questions?"

There was one student who raised his hand.

"Sir, hypothetically, if we participate in the musical or get chosen for it, is the A final, no matter how horrible we've performed in the semester?"

"Yes, Mr. Perry. Even if the student is performing at an average of an F, should his or her performance be well received by the crowd then the said student shall get an A. This will serve as your final exam. Are there any more questions?"

"Sir, when will we have to perform?"

"Ah, yes. Thank you for that, Ms. La Rue. It would be held Friday next week. Any more?"

"No? Good. Now that we have that cleared, let us move on to our lesson."

He was talking but I was barely paying attention. I was practically hyperventilating in my seat. I have to perform in front of everyone. I have no escape. Unless of course I don't go to school but I don't want to do that. I can't do that. Mom would never allow me to, either. I think this is the first time in my entire life I am not looking forward to Friday.

After Drama, Annie, Marvel, Cato and I made it to the cafeteria. As we were approaching, Marvel mentioned something about a special performance since it's the beginning of the year. The boys went up on stage, introduced themselves and started playing.

_Looking for the one tonight_  
_But I can't see you_  
_Cause I'm blinded by all the lights, ooh_  
_And I can never get it right_  
_I need a breakthrough_  
_Why are you so hard to find? ooh_

_I've been searching every city_  
_Never giving up_  
_'Til I find my angel_  
_Diamond in the rough_  
_Looking for a signal_  
_Baby turn it up tonight_

_[Chorus:]_

_Come on get loud loud let it out_  
_Shout it out from the rooftops_  
_Come on get loud 'til they shut us down._  
_Come on get loud loud let it out_  
_Show me everything that you've got_  
_Come on get loud loud I need you now_  
_Baby let me hear it loud_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_Looking for the light to shine_  
_To start a fire_  
_Girl I'll be the first in line ooh_  
_And baby when our stars align_  
_We can't get no higher_  
_You just give me a sign_

_[Chorus]_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_(Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_Looking for the one tonight_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_I've been looking for the one tonight_

_[Chorus]_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_Baby let me hear it loud_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_Baby let me hear it loud_

_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_  
_Na Na Na Na Na Naa_

_I've been looking for the one tonight_

The crowd applauded. Normal chattering resumed afterwards. All in all, it was a very regular lunchtime. But of course, all good things must come to an end. My end just happened to be in a very sparkly pink top, a white mini skirt, white boots and has curly blonde locks bouncing as she walks. Seriously, how can she wear that in the middle of winter? Doesn't she get cold? Oh wait. Her personality is already icy. She's used to it. Go figure.

"Hey guys! I see you still use this table, huh? Don't mind if I sit here would you? Great!" groans could be heard all around the table, even from the boys. She took no notice of this, of course. Her posy sat down at our table as well. This consisted of two other girls who were blonde, obviously fake though. Their roots were already turning brown. They were likewise wearing revealing outfits in the middle of winter. These girls have serious issues, I swear. "Hello, Clove! Haven't seen you in ages! How've you been? Stage been keeping you company?" There was a glint in her eyes. I swear I could stab her right then and there if we weren't in school.

"Quit it, Glimmer. She doesn't want to talk to you. Leave her alone." Jackie said, her voice venomous. I've never heard Jackie talk that way before, not even to the boys who, at times, drive her insane.

"No one asked your opinion, Jacqueline. I'm just being polite to the new girl after all."

"Stop it, Glimmer." Everyone looked up from their food and stared at Cato. He hasn't spoken a word since they got back from their performance. Everyone seemed a bit shocked at him, to be honest, for telling Glimmer off. I guess he didn't do that very often in the past. I felt a little smile tugging at my lips but I forced myself not to in fear that someone might see and question me.

The rest of lunch was a bit awkward after that. We were all thankful when the bell rang and went our separate paths.

* * *

The next few days were surprisingly a lot worse than Glimmer's first day. Thursday, however, took the crown.

The moment I entered the drama classroom, I went to my seat immediately as per usual. Glimmer, being herself, purposely bumped into my chair on her way to hers, causing me to fall.

"Oops. Sorry Clover." She said with a smirk.

"Are you okay, Clove?" Annie asked, helping me back up.

"I'm fine, Annie. Thanks." I noticed that Glimmer's a lot more hostile towards me now than she was back then. I also noticed that she keeps it low key whenever we're around Cato. I guess she's either afraid of him or just wants him to think that she's an angel. What a joke.

Some time later, everyone began to fill in the classroom. Everything he was saying was beginning to blur. Mr. Anderson paused in the middle of his discussion, probably to make sure we were all still paying attention, and decided that it would be a good idea to remind us that we had a week left to prepare for our performance. That was when all hell broke loose.

"Hey Clove" Glimmer said rather loudly so the entire class can hear. "What song are you going to sing? I hope it's not Don't Let Me Fall. I remember the last time you sang that. Nasty business, wasn't it?" I couldn't take it anymore. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to fall. I did not, under any circumstance, want to cry in front of all these people. So I did the only thing I could think of at that moment. I stood and bolted out the classroom. I didn't hear the teacher scold Glimmer, nor Cato yell at her for embarrassing me, thus embarrassing her. I just ran as far away as I could from that classroom, hoping to disappear from this god-forsaken place. I kept my head down as I was running down the hall, the tears I tried so hard to keep were streaming down my face. I bumped into someone as I was rounding the corner.

"Whoa there, little missy. You shouldn't be running down the hall."

I couldn't look bear to look up at the man who was talking to me. By now, I was sniffing and literally sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's the matter? Hold on, I think I recognize you. Why don't you come with me and I'll go get someone to help okay?"

All I could do was nod subtly. With that, I was slowly escorted off to a place I didn't know but knew it was somewhere safe and private. No one would be able to find me there.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming and I promise to keep the updates coming as well! :)**

**Song: Loud by R5**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. RIGHTS GO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Cato POV:**

"What the hell was that for!"

"I was merely asking her a question!"

"That was not a question and you know it, Glimmer!"

"Why do you care anyway? She's nothing but a poor girl! She can barely afford the clothes she's wearing! Her parents don't even have a stable job! Why do think she moved here, huh?"

"That's enough! Both of you sit down this instant or you're heading straight to the principal's office!"

I sat back down trying to do whatever I could to calm myself. I was beyond mad at Glimmer for what she did to Clove. She didn't deserve any of those rude comments Glimmer was making. I did learn something though. Glimmer and Clove definitely knew each other. They were probably from the same school before. She used to live in California before moving here, after all. Why didn't I see it before? That was why Clove was so mad at me after the party. It wasn't just because I was with some girl. It was because I was with _Glimmer_ of all people. I am so stupid. And screwed. Definitely screwed.

I was tempted to bolt out the classroom right after Clove but Mr. Anderson stopped me. Even Annie wasn't allowed to go after her. I don't know what he's playing at but it is definitely not funny.

Annie, Marvel and I bolted right out the door the moment the bell rang. We went our separate ways in search of Clove since she wasn't picking up her phone. Marvel went to the cafeteria to ask the others for help and Annie went to the nearest bathroom in hopes that she went there for privacy.

We searched practically everywhere. The library, the gym, outside by the bleachers, the labs, the music room, the bathrooms (the girls did, obviously) but we just couldn't find her anywhere. We were all growing restless, frustrated, worried, tired and a wee bit hungry.

We all met back outside the cafeteria thinking of other places she could be when Gale's phone suddenly started buzzing. "Hello? Yeah. Uh-huh. Ohhh. Alright, thanks. We'll be right there. What? Are you sure? Ok fine. Yeah. Thanks. Bye." He hung up the phone before stating, "I know where she is. She's fine. She says we should all eat lunch and she'll meet us, whoever she still has classes with, later."

We all went to the cafeteria in silence. We still had about 15 minutes before lunch was over. I bet we were all thinking the same thing. None of us could eat properly without Clove but we nevertheless tried to stuff our mouths with whatever we had in front of us. I, personally, didn't have an appetite at all. I couldn't even touch my food. I knew Clove would be mad at me if I didn't eat though so I tried really hard to at least get something in my system. I think this is the first time I was ever relieved to hear the bell ring that signaled the end of lunch break.

At Science, I tried talking to Clove but she wouldn't even look at me. I gave up after a while, knowing that she had to have a reason for ignoring me. Right before leaving class, a piece of paper slipped onto my desk. It read, _I'll tell you later. –C. _I glanced at her, not even daring to write back. She smiled at me for a second before she grabbed her things and left the classroom. Right then and there, I knew she going to be alright.

* * *

I drove her home as per usual. She didn't talk to me the whole ride to her house. Once we got there, she invited me inside and went straight to her room. We sat down on the floor for a while, still remaining silent.

"Clove wh-"

"Cato, stop. Can't we just drop it for now? I'll tell you later, okay? I promise." With that, she went back to her work. I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut. This was turning out to be the worst day ever.

Since I had nothing better to do, seeing as our deal was still valid and Clove had to do my homework (well, part of it), I opted to play the guitar which usually calmed me down. I was strumming, mindlessly playing a few chords. I wasn't really paying that much attention to it. It was sort of my second nature to play the guitar so sometimes I just get lost in the melody.

"Cato, can you please stop? It's very distracting." Clove finally said.

"Sorry. I was just getting bored, that's all."

She sighed before putting her pen down. "I guess I can take a break for a while. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Uh, water would be fine. I don't mind getting it."

"No, it's okay. You're still the guest, after all. I'll get it." She said before getting up. She looked a bit depressed, if you asked me. I couldn't take it. It was so heartbreaking to see her look so down. She was usually the perky one. The ray of sunshine of the group. Now she was all gloomy and I didn't what to do to make her feel better. First things first though. I had to find out what the cause was. Then I'll be able to help her find a solution.

She got back a moment later with two glasses of water, two bowls, two spoons and a container of ice cream. I looked at her incredulously. She didn't seem to take notice though as she took a gigantic scoop and placed in the bowl.

"I guess I should start from the beginning, huh?" I just nodded. She was finally opening up to me! I didn't let it show, but I was mentally fist pumping in the air screaming 'FINALLY!'.

"Well, it all started in first grade. I had met Glimmer during the first day of school. We were seated next to each other and had become instant best friends. We shared everything with each other. She knew all my secrets and I knew hers. Well, at least I thought I did." She paused for a second before continuing. "In fifth grade, I had this huge crush on a guy from our class." I couldn't help but clench my jaw at this. Luckily she didn't seem to notice. "I, of course, being the good friend, had made the mistake of telling Glimmer this. At the time, I didn't know that she had a crush on him too. We kept talking about him all the time, thinking of ways to get him to notice me. Then she suggested I join the talent show since she said I was a good singer. At the time, I thought it was a good idea. Not only will he notice me but I also get to show everyone else what I'm capable of. But then everything seemed to go downhill from there. Without prior warning, she joined the talent show as well. I was shocked, to say the least, that Glimmer would want to compete against me. Then she told me that she believed she could win the contest since there was no real competition anyway. I then proceeded to ask her what she meant. She told me that she never thought I could sing. She was merely encouraging me to so I could embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people. I started to feel sick after that. Once I got called on stage, I saw them all staring at me and it freaked me out. I couldn't get any of the words out of my mouth despite how much practice I've been doing. My mind went completely blank. When I was finally able to sing, well, more of speak part of it, people started booing me and I ended up throwing up on stage. Needless to say, it was the worst experience of my life. I ran backstage after that, feeling completely flustered. Once I got there, everyone was laughing at me. I even heard Glimmer mocking me, pointing and saying how pathetic I looked on stage. Of course, Glimmer ended up winning the talent show."

"That's just cruel! I always knew she was a bi-." I interjected.

"I'm not done yet." she cut me off as well. "A week later, meaning the Monday that followed, I was greeted at the entrance to the school by the sight of Glimmer sucking faces with Jason, the guy I, which then I found out was actually we, had a crush on. By then, I knew our friendship was long past gone. Ruined and completely torn apart with no point of return. Glimmer had just used me all those years because she needed someone to help her academically. Nothing was ever the same ever since. Everyone avoided me like a plague at all costs. I assumed it was Glimmer spreading rumors about me. Well, some of them weren't really rumors since I told her everything there is to know about me. I was horribly bullied by everyone and I had no friends to back me up. I felt worthless. Sometimes I still do. I remember everything they said about me and it haunts me until this day. Sometimes I think they're right. There really is nothing special about me and that I should just disappear." She was outright crying at this point. I don't even think she noticed or maybe it was just that she didn't care. The tears were streaming down her face and it broke my heart to see the girl of my dreams break like that.

"No."

"Excuse me?" her voice cracking.

"No. You're not worthless Clove. You're absolutely perfect in every way. You're extremely talented, smart and beautiful. You've got a killer body too so that's a bonus." She punched me in the arm for that one.

"You're such a guy, Cato." At least now she's smiling! Totally worth it.

"I'm serious! But that aside. I know you, Clove. You're kind, sweet, honest and just... amazing. You shouldn't let words like that let you down. For all you know, they're just jealous."

"What's there to be jealous of? I don't even have anything that would be counted as valuable. Not even a decent dress of my own."

"You don't need to dress up nicely to look your best. You look beautiful in whatever you wear. You don't even need make-up like the other girls do to make you look attractive. You, my dear, are beautiful inside and out. You are the epitome of perfection. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

She stared at me with her eyes that were sparkling from the tears that were once again gathering. I wiped the stray ones away with my thumb and before loosing my nerve, I pulled her face closer to mine and closed the gap between our lips. Fireworks exploded.

* * *

**AN: Here's for your daily dose of Clato, everyone! Hope you're all doing well.**

**Before anyone asks, Clove's family is not really poor, per se. It's just that her parents transfer jobs so much so they don't really have a stable pay check yet. Her sister is a working student as well which is why she's not home very often. Her family has a decent amount of money saved up but it's not up to par with the wealth of the other kids from their school. The clothes thing is sort of just an exaggeration.**

**Thoughts? :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Happy Friday the 13th! In honor of that, I present to you chapter 13! (Just so we're clear, this was absolutely unintentional. It's just that I have recently found the time to write this and thought I should upload it before I forget.) Hope you like it! :)

* * *

**Clove's POV:**

I cannot believe that just happened. I cannot believe Cato just kissed me and I kissed him back! He couldn't have chosen a better timing though. I have to say, he really has a way with the female specimen. After showering me with compliments, he goes straight for the homerun. Let me tell you, it really worked. I could not have been happier in my life. I could've died on the spot for all I cared.

After we broke apart, we stared at each other for a moment, trying to steady our breathing. I was searching his eyes for signs that maybe he was just doing this as a comfort thing but I saw none. He was, in contrast, smiling so brightly it was as if he won the lottery or something. I couldn't help but smile back at him as well. He then proceeded to wrap his arms around me, cradling me and whispering sweet nothings in my ear. It was at that moment I realized I was the luckiest and happiest girl in the world.

* * *

School the next day wasn't nearly as bad. Nothing really eventful happened, not to mention today was also Friday meaning we'd have the next two days off. The group decided we should celebrate the end of the first week of the year (they like to celebrate everything!)

We were at the Mellark's bakery, which we haven't been to in a while, sitting at our usual booth. Cato made sure not to make it too obvious that we were sort of together but sat as close to me as possible.

"Hey, Clove. Where were you yesterday? You never did get to tell us where you had gone off to." Finnick said, remembering my little fiasco yesterday.

"She was at my dad's office." Gale said, not looking up from his food.

"What were you doing there?" Annie asked, now completely puzzled.

"I bumped into Jason in the hallway." I saw Cato glance at me for a second. Oops. I may have forgotten to mention that yesterday. Well at least he knows now. "He was the one who brought me to Gale's dad's office. I was rounding the corner when it happened. I don't really know where I would've gone if I hadn't. I was sort of just aimlessly running away."

They all stared at me with concerned faces. I guess it was time to tell everyone what my real problem was.

"Do you guys mind if we go somewhere private before I tell you my life story? I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of other people potentially overhearing it."

"Sure. We can go to my room. C'mon." Peeta said, leading the way.

Once we got there, we all found a comfortable place to sit. Cato decided it best to sit on the floor and motioned me to sit next to him. I proceeded to tell my story to them. Surprisingly, I didn't feel as emotional as I did yesterday when I relayed it to Cato. I guess it was because I wasn't as afraid anymore. I knew that these people were trustworthy.

Once I was done, the girls all had tears in their eyes and tackled me. This is what true friendship should feel like.

"Oh Clove that's just horrible! How could they do that to a precious girl like you? If I ever see those people I will squash them all like a bug!" Jackie said. Just those simple words made me smile. Knowing that someone would go through lengths just to protect me made me feel safe and special. Much like what Cato did yesterday.

"Why do you get to have all the fun? We all want to go! Teach those jerks a lesson." Marvel said. Aww. Even the boys cared!

"I appreciate the gesture guys but I'm fine now. I have all of you, after all."

"Awwww. We love you too, Clove!" this was followed by yet another group hug. I just love these people. What would I do without them?

Cato drove me home again that night. This time, though, there was an actual conversation going on.

"How do you feel?"

"Better, actually. Thank you for yesterday. I wouldn't have been able to talk about that to the others if it hadn't been for you."

He smiled. "No problem. Glad I could be of service."

We stayed silent for a little while. It wasn't awkward though. It was more of a comfortable one. We were both deep in thought and knew the other was as well. We respected privacy.

"What are you going to do about the performance on Friday?"

I paled. I completely forgot about that! Ironic actually, seeing as that was the whole reason for this mess in the first place. "I don't know." I replied solemnly. We were once again silent after that.

Then his eyes suddenly brightened, obviously struck by an idea. "I know what we could do!" He paused after that.

"What?" I said after he didn't continue.

"How about we sing a duet? He never said anything about having to perform solo."

My eyes widened. Why didn't I think of that? Wait, even if I was singing a duet, I don't think I'd be able to do it.

"I don't know, Cato. It's a great idea but I don't think I can sing in front of all those people. Just the thought of it scares me."

He stayed silent for a moment, thinking of a solution. "We'll think of something."

Once we got to my house, he walked me all the way back to the door.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything, really. For yesterday, today, all the other days in the past, possibly the future."

Then he pecked me on the lips before saying, "You're welcome."

We stared at each other for a moment. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this. Looking into his eyes, just getting so lost in them, I don't know how on earth I ever return to the land of the living.

"Can I come over tomorrow? We can work on the song together, if you'd like."

"That'll be perfect."

"Not as perfect as you." I couldn't help but giggle. He was so cheesy. He gave me another quick peck before saying good night and departing.

With a smile on my face, I went inside the house, looking forward to the days to come.

* * *

"No, that doesn't sound right." We were sitting at the piano bench at my house, trying to write a song. We could've just chosen a song to sing but Cato insisted that as a professional singer, he wanted to write his own music so here we are, an hour later, still struggling to come up with lyrics for our song.

"Cato, this isn't working. Why don't we just choose a song that's already been written and just try to learn that?"

"What's the fun in that? Besides, you said so yourself, you like to write your own music as well. It shouldn't be that hard to channel your writer self."

This was true. Being reminded of my song writing made me remember the song I'd written about him that night I came home from Finnick's party. I blushed at the memory. I hope he didn't notice. If he did, I'll just make an excuse that it was his comment that made me blush. Yeah, that should work.

Finally, after 4 hours at the piano bench, we had our song. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I was quite proud of our work. If I was being completely truthful, I would say that now, I'm actually pretty excited for other people to hear it. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for people to hear, I'm just not thrilled at the thought of actually performing it for them.

* * *

Friday rolled by fast. Drama came way too quickly for my liking. Once we were all present at the auditorium, Mr. Anderson handed out pieces of papers with our names on it and numbers 1-5 to rate the performances of our classmates. Seeing this made everything so much more real. I was starting to shake from the nerves but Cato held my hand and gave it a tight squeeze, telling me it's going to be alright. I was grateful for that. At first, Mr. Anderson asked for volunteers to be the first to perform. Since no one wanted to, obviously, he decided to call people at random. Surprisingly, some of them were actually pretty good. I gave my honest opinion on everyone's performances since I thought it would be fair for everyone. The lowest I gave was a 2 because I felt that just having the courage to go out there and perform was in itself, a great effort.

When Glimmer was called, I physically tensed. Cato seemed to have sensed this and started rubbing circles on the top of my hand to calm me down. She, of course, gave a wonderful performance. You wouldn't have expected anything less from her. She even went so far as to provide her own microphone, much like the girl from that movie, High School Musical. Reluctantly, I rated her a 4 out of 5. Even if I didn't like her, I wasn't letting my personal issues affect what I thought of her performance. I still, after all, believed that I should be truthful and just. Technically, I was already holding back. She really deserved a 5 but I couldn't get myself to encircle it. It was like letting her win. I wouldn't give her that satisfaction.

Finally, my name was called. I froze for a second, not believing that it was time. Cato gave me a gentle tug, which pulled me out of my trance and made me get off my seat. Cato and I made our way on stage, a guitar already strapped to his shoulder. Cato spoke first, seeing as everyone was shocked Cato was on stage as well.

"If you don't mind, sir, I would like to sing alongside Clove."

All of my classmates were protesting, saying that it was unfair. Cato shut them up immediately.

"Hey! Mr. Anderson didn't say anything about performing a duet. All he said was that we all had to perform one song. Am I right, sir?"

He seemed to be thinking about this. That can't be good. What if he doesn't approve? Then all of our effort would've gone to waste. I don't think I'll be able to do this without Cato. Then, after what seemed like forever, he seemed to have made up his mind.

* * *

**R&R? :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine.**


	14. Chapter 14

"It is true. I did say that. Quite clever of you to think of that loophole Mr. Morgan. I approve of your joint performance with Ms. Kentwell. However, since you are a performer, your standards are a little higher. Think you can manage, Ms. Kentwell?"

"I-I'll try, sir."

"Very well then. Proceed."

Cato smiled brightly before he proceeded with the brief intro. He's probably used to doing that before performing since his band does it all the time. "Okay before we begin, I would just like everyone to know that this song is an original, written by my partner and I. I hope you like it."

Then he looked at me before asking, "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

He nodded. He then started playing his guitar.

I couldn't do it. Here it was again. The words were there but they wouldn't come out. Cato must have sensed something was wrong because he was looking at me but he didn't stop playing. He just kept repeating the chords so as not to raise suspicion.

I turned away from the crowd, feeling the tears already building up in my eyes. "I can't do it Cato."

"Yes you can. Just look at me." I did as I was told. "We're the only ones in the room. Just you and me." I kept repeating that mantra in my head. I nodded, as if saying I understood what he was trying to do and that he should start again. He seemed to have understood because he started playing the intro again. This time, I was able to get the words out.

___[Clove:]_  
When you're on your own  
Drowning alone  
And you need a rope that can pull you in  
Someone will throw it

_[Cato:]_  
And when you're afraid  
That you're gonna break  
And you need a way to feel strong again  
Someone will know it

_[Both:]_  
And even when it hurts the most  
Try to have a little hope  
That someone's gonna be there when you don't  
When you don't

If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder  
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile  
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky  
Anything you need that's what I'll be  
You can come to me

_[Clove:]_  
You struggle inside  
Losing your mind  
Fighting and trying to be yourself  
When somebody lets you

_[Cato:]_  
Out in the cold  
But no where to go  
Feeling like no one could understand  
Then somebody gets you

_[Both:]_  
So take a breath and let it go  
And try to have a little hope  
'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't  
When you don't

If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder  
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile  
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky  
Anything you need, that's what I'll be  
You can come to me

_[Clove:]_  
Like a chain that never breaks  
Like a truth that never bends  
Like a glue that takes a broken heart and puts it back again  
It's the feeling that you get  
It's the moment that you know  
That no matter what the future holds  
You'll never be alone

_[Both:]_  
If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder  
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile  
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky  
Anything you need, that's what I'll be  
If you wanna climb, I'll be your ladder  
If you wanna run, I'll be your road  
If you want a friend, doesn't matter when  
Anything you need, that's what I'll be  
You can come to me

_[Clove:]_  
You can come to me,  
Yeah

During the whole song, I was just staring at Cato as if we were the only ones in the world. Nothing else mattered. Until, of course, we heard applause from the audience. That snapped me back to reality. I looked back at the audience and saw that it grew. Not only were my classmates there but other students as well. I didn't even hear the bell ring signaling the start of lunch. Oh my gosh. I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe I actually sung in front of all these people! I glanced back at Cato and saw him smiling at me. Just seeing that was reassurance enough that I didn't disappoint him. Mr. Anderson stood up, still clapping. Pretty soon everyone else was doing it as well. They gave us a standing ovation. Cato grabbed my hand, lifted it and took a bow. I followed suit.

"That was excellent! Absolutely outstanding! Clove Kentwell, you are remarkable! That goes for you too, Mr. Morgan but we already know of your talent. Ms. Kentwell why don't you perform that with Mr. Morgan at lunch seeing as they give a performance every now and again. Everyone deserves to see you shine and shine you will!"

I didn't know what to say. I don't think I'd be able to do that again. Before I could decline his offer, Cato stepped up and said, "That's a great idea sir! We won't disappoint you!" Then he proceeded to drag me off the stage as Mr. Anderson dismissed us for lunch.

"What are you doing? I barely made it through one performance! Now you're going to make me do it again in front of even more people and with lighting I can actually see them in?! Are you crazy?"

He grinned at me mischievously. "Maybe I am, Ms. Kentwell."

Before I could stop him, he had pulled me all the way to the stage. I really had no choice in the matter. I was just so weak compared to him.

"Hey everyone! Can I have your attention?" Obviously no one can defy Cato so everyone stopped in their tracks, watched and listened. "Great. So, first off, I would like to introduce you guys to my partner, Clove Kentwell." I gave a small smile and waved a bit in their direction as a greeting. "We will be performing for you all this afternoon. At first, we wrote this song to perform for Mr. Anderson's drama class but he suggested we perform it for the rest of you too so that everyone's on equal ground. Is that cool?" Collective approvals answered his question. "Alright, awesome. This one's for you guys. Hope you like it." And with that, we began round two of You Can Come To Me. I sort of felt bad for my classmates cause they had to hear the same song twice. They seemed to have enjoyed the song the first time so I hope it still has the same effect now.

After the performance, I was greeted by a hoard of people. Most were congratulatory. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. People actually like me. I didn't know I was capable of being this happy. I spared a glance at Cato who was greeted by his own crowd. He spotted me, smiled and winked. A felt a blush creep to my cheeks. All these compliments were making me feel a bit weak on the knees. When it finally died down a bit, we were able to eat.

* * *

After school we were once again at Peeta's bakery.

"That was incredible, Clove! I always knew you'd be able to do it!"

"Yeah! You totally nailed it this afternoon!"

"Aww. Thanks guys. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

"What did we do?"

"You were all there for me when I needed you. That's all a girl could ever ask for."

Things got a bit sentimental after that. A whole lot of hugging was involved. After about 2 hours of just talking and hanging out, Cato's phone started buzzing.

"Hello? What? Seriously? Can't you do it? Fine. I'll be right there. Yeah I'm going. Yeah yeah whatever. Bye." He hung up the phone before sighing. "That was Coleen. Apparently, the twins have a party to attend to but she already left to go to the grocery with Charlie so I have to take them. I have to go. See you guys later"

An assortment of "bye's" "see ya's" and "later, dude's" were what he received.

Everyone else started to leave one by one afterwards. Before we left, however, the girls had a short meeting. "Why don't we have a girl's night out tonight? It is Friday after all!"

"That's a great idea, Jackie!"

"Yeah! We haven't had one since last year. Quite frankly, I'm beginning to miss spending time with my girls."

"It's settled then. How about we meet back at my house at around 7?" Jackie suggested.

With that, we all went out separate ways to our houses. Katniss was kind enough to drop me off at my house first since I didn't have a car of my own yet. She waited for me to get ready so we could head to Jackie's house together, after getting her stuff first of course.

I can't believe how my life has changed in a span of a year. Could this get any better?

* * *

**Sorry for the late update! School's starting to catch up to me.**

**Reviews make my day! Oh and suggestions are also welcome. It'll make the updating process faster since I'd have ideas on what to write about. Please and thank you! :)**

**Disclaimer: The only thing that belongs to me is the plot.**

**Song: You Can Come To Me - Ross Lynch and Laura Marano**


	15. Chapter 15

**Clove POV**

The first thing I noticed when we got to Jackie's house was the entrance. It as a huge double door with a knocker the shape of a dragon's head. Pretty freaky but cool at the same time. The roman columns (or I guess you could say pillars. Whichever you prefer) were of the Corinthian design meaning it was really intricate. The house was pretty big but not as big as the boys' houses. But hey, let's not compare sizes here. They have their own income afterall.

"What took you guys so long!" Jackie greeted us at the door.

"Sorry. We had 2 houses to stop by remember? Our houses aren't exactly right next to each other. We both still had to pack and-" Katniss said, getting all defensive.

"Yeah yeah I get it! Just hurry up and come in already! We're starving!" As we were walking in, our bags in tow, I heard Jackie mutter "excuses." I decided not to tell Katniss in fear of another round of going at each other's throats.

Once we got to Jackie's room, Annie and Madge were already sitting on the floor setting our dinner and snacks for the events to come. Greetings were passed around and soon enough, we were all digging in on Annie's homemade pasta. It was absolutely delicious! Of course I still prefer my mother's cooking but this is definitely an easy second! Way better than restaurant food that's for sure.

After eating, the inevitable happened. I'm pretty sure every girl sleepover party ends up with boy talk in it. We decided, just to give it a little twist, that we were going to use a bottle to spin in order to choose who would be the one talking about "her guy". This made it fair for everyone since we were leaving our fate to chance. Whoever gets chosen has to spill the beans then afterwards spin the bottle for her target.

"I'll go first!" Jackie said, spinning the bottle that was in the center. It landed on Madge.

"Madge, how are you and Jason?" Jason was her boyfriend for almost a year now. He also happened to be the guy who found me running and crying in the hall a few weeks ago and brought me to Gale's dad's office. He is, after all, Gale's childhood best friend.

"Um… We're alright I guess. But I don't know. Sometimes I feel as if he doesn't really care anymore. I'm sure he still likes me but not to the same extent as to when we first started dating." She looked a bit disappointed but not all that bothered by it. I guess they just weren't meant to be. Too bad, they were kind of cute together.

After her confession with her somewhat failing relationship, she spun the bottle which landed on Katniss.

"How are you and a certain baker?" she asked with a smirk. For someone who's supposedly in the middle of a difficult relationship, she sure knows how to turn the tables. She acted as if it didn't phase her at all.

"We're taking it slow and steady I guess. I mean, he hasn't even asked me out yet. I'm hoping he does but it just hasn't happened yet. I'm sort of hoping he asks me to prom a few months for now but I don't know. He's just so shy, you know?"

"Yup. Definitely sounds like Peeta." Jackie commented, making all of us laugh.

The game kept going, surprisingly the bottle hasn't landed on me yet. So far, we learned that Jackie has a whole lot of Hollywood superstars crushes (not that that was surprising. I'm pretty sure all of us like at least one actor), Annie's was recently introduced to Finnick's parents after a year of dating. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was more of because they were too busy and couldn't make time for a casual dinner. They were usually out on business trips and whatnot. But I think the biggest news we got was Madge sort of has a crush on her boyfriend's best friend, the one and only Gale Hawthorne. Oh the drama.

"Clove! I can't believe you still haven't been chosen! We're out of boy gossip to talk about! Screw this bottle! It's your turn!"

"Yeah Clove. Spill. What's going on between you and Cato?"

I blushed a bit, shy to the core. Sighing, I say, "What do you want to know?"

"EVERYTHING!" Everyone shouted at once.

"Let's start with the song." Annie asked.

"Umm. Well, we went to my house as usual. We sat on the piano and wrote a song that took over 4 hours to write."

"Nothing happened?" Jackie pushed.

"Not really. I mean, before we wrote the song, we did have our 'moments' I guess you could say."

A lot of squeeling came from everyone in the room. "Like what? Have you guys kissed?"

I'm pretty sure I'm as red as a tomato by now. I didn't think I needed to say anything anymore seeing as how obvious that reaction was but I still nodded nonetheless.

"How many times?"

"Uh…. Around 3 times? Twice when I told him about my past and once after writing the song."

"Oh my gosh, Clove! You guys are totally going out!" Annie said. A bit out of character but I guess she's just really excited.

"Has he asked you yet?" I shook my head.

"Ugh! That boy needs some serious talking to. I mean, who kisses a girl three times and doesn't ask her out!" This time it was Madge's turn to be uncharacteristic. Boys must really get them riled up.

After a few more hours of nonstop conversation, a few movies and the cliche pillow fights, we finally decided to hit the sack. I've got to admit, this has been a wonderful day. I overcame my stage fright and then I got to go on my first slumber party in this town. A day well spent. As I was about to fall asleep, I saw my phone light up. I decided to check who the sender was in case it was an emergency. I mean, who would be texting at 3am? What I saw brought a huge smile on my face. Luckily the other girls are already asleep and wouldn't get the chance to tease me. As I drifted off to sleep, my thoughts consumed by the text, I thought to myself, what a wonderful day this has been indeed.


	16. Chapter 16

**Clove POV:**

I woke up bright and early the next morning which surprised me seeing as we slept so late last night. Then I realized the reason I woke up was because I felt my phone buzz in my hand. Astonishingly I didn't drop it while I was asleep. I checked to see who the sender was and what the text said.

_From Cato_

_Good morning, beautiful. Hope you have a good day! :)_

I looked at the text above that one. The one he sent last night that sent me to a night of bliss.

_From Cato_

_Good night, my Clove. Sweet dreams. I miss you._

I decided to text him back this time. Still grinning from ear to ear.

_To Cato_

_Good morning to you too! I trust you had a good rest? :)_

Not even a minute went by before my phone buzzed again.

_Yup, sure did. Dreamt about the most beautiful girl with dark hair and the most dazzling brown eyes. Too bad Charlie woke me up. I could've stayed in dreamland all day. Then again, I'd much rather see her in person. Which reminds me, are you doing anything today?_

I had to stifle a giggle over that one. Oh this boy. Ever the charmer, even at this hour.

_Haven't asked the girls yet. I'm with them you see. We had a sleepover party last night at Jackie's. I'll let you know once they wake up and everything's decided. :)_

_Kay. Oh tell them I said hi!_

_I will. Talk to you later!_

With that, I put my phone down and got ready to start the day. I might as well make breakfast seeing as I'm already up. I made bacon, eggs, toast and pancakes which was basically all I could find that would be adequate for breakfast. I was already half way done setting the table when Katniss arrived.

"Good morning, Katniss. Would you like some breakfast?"

She answered with a nod and a yawn. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked. I took a glance at the clock and realized it was only a little past 9am. I had only slept for roughly 6 hours. Surprisingly I wasn't even tired despite my lack of sleep.

"My phone started buzzing. Since I was already awake, I thought I might as well start with breakfast."

"Who would be up at this hour on a Saturday?"

"Cato, apparently."

She stopped stacking food on her plate and stared at me as if startled by what I had just said. "Cato? As in THE Cato Morgan? Awake at 9am? And was awake enough to text?!" I simply nodded. When you put it that way it was a bit odd. Cato isn't really a morning person.

"Wow. You really know how to make a guy change his ways, Clove. What'd he say?"

"He just greeted me good morning then asked if I had anything planned for today."

"So he basically asked you out."

"Well, not really. I told him that I'm with you guys and that I would tell him what we have planned for today. If we're doing something girl related then I'm not taking him with me."

"Why not? It could be like a group date or something."

"Before we jump to conclusions we should probably wait for the others first. They'd feel left out if we just decided on our own."

About half an hour later everyone started coming to the kitchen one by one. Once everyone was there, we decided on the game plan for the day. We all agreed to go to the mall and ask the boys if they wanted to come. Once that was settled, we started to get ready. We told the boys we'd meet them for lunch at the mall food court. We took a shower two at a time seeing as Jackie's house had two full baths, one next to her room and one by the guests room downstairs.

By 11:30, everyone was already dressed and ready to go. None of us really use make-up, just a bit of powder, blush, eyeliner and lipgloss. Seeing as it was still winter, all of us were dressed in layers. Annie was wearing a skirt with black legging underneath, boots, a floral-printed long-sleeved shirt, sweater and a coat. Madge was wearing something similar except she didn't have a skirt and her shirt was loose and plain. Katniss was wearing jeans, black shirt, boots and a leather jacket. Jackie decided to be a bit different and decided that the cold didn't bother her. She was wearing a button-down shirt, black leggings, boots and a jacket. I decided to go with a sweatshirt instead of just a sweater. Similar to Katniss, I thought of wearing dark colored skinny jeans and boots. I put a plain long-sleeved shirt on and a t-shirt on top of it, just so that I had an extra layer. Being small and thin meant that I was more susceptible to cold than my friends were. Plus, I lived in California all my life where it doesn't get this cold ever.

"Ready to go?" All of us nodded. "Let's go then! Don't want to keep the boys waiting!"

* * *

It took as roughly 10 minutes to get to the mall. We went straight to the food court, not only because we thought the boys would already be there but also to start decided on what we wanted to eat because we were a bit hungry. Funny how it hasn't even been 3 hours since my last meal and I'm already hungry.

Once we got there, we found them straight away. It wasn't just because they were tall but also the huge crowd that was gathered around that area. Now I remember why they don't like going to the mall all that much. Oops.

We had a mini debate on whether or not to rid them of their suffering or just let it die down. It took a minute but we finally decided that as true friends, we would help them in times of need, no matter how fun it is to watch them "suffer". It was, after all, our fault they're in this position in the first place. We decided to use Annie as bait since everyone already knew that she and Finnick were a couple. Of course there were haters and all but once they saw dear sweet Annie Cresta they just couldn't resist her charm. The crowd slowly diminished, leaving us to be able to dine in peace.

"Thanks Annie. Saved us back there."

"And thank you ladies for the wonderful meal." You see, we felt bad for dragging them here on their day off so we decided to treat them to lunch. It was sort of our apology for getting them into that mess earlier.

"They were really sweet though. If I wasn't so hungry I wouldn't have minded. They are, after all, the reason we're still in this business." Marvel said. Always the ladies man, that one.

Everyone agreed but afterwards we decided to drop the topic. This was supposed to be our day of fun. Work is not to be discussed.

"So, where to next ladies?" Marvel asked once we were all done eating.

"Why don't we watch a movie?" Everyone agreed and started heading to the second floor where the theater was. It took a while for us to decide which movie we wanted to see, seeing as the boys wanted to watch a action/gory movie while the girls wanted to watch a romantic comedy. After careful deliberation, we decided to watch Catching Fire **(AN: I know it comes out in November but just for the purpose of this story. Besides, it's more fun that way).** It had romance, action and it was gory so why not? Gale was the one who got on line at the ticket booth. I was reaching for my wallet when I felt an arm stop me. I looked up and saw Cato hand over 20 dollars to Gale which would have been enough for two tickets. Then he leant down and whispered to me, "A gentleman never lets the girl pay for him. He should be the one treating her."

"Cato this is the 21st century."

"So? Rules still apply."

"I thought rules only apply when you're on a date?"

"Isn't this considered a date?"

Before I could answer, we were called by the others who had already bought popcorn, drinks and other snacks. We went into the theater and sat on the row that was smack in the middle. Best seats in the house, I would have to say. Funnily enough, without really meaning to, we sort of sat by "couple". In order from right to left there was Gale, Madge, Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, Annie, Jackie, Me, Cato and Marvel who was seated at the other end. Sometime during the movie, I felt an arm stretch and rest on the top of my chair before wrapping itself around my shoulder. I don't know what made me do it, but I suddenly found myself leaning my head against his shoulder. We stayed like that for the rest of the movie. I was so comfortable, I almost fell asleep. Of course, I had to force myself to stay up because the story was really interesting but at the same time I lacked sleep so it was really tempting. After all, it was really dark and cold in the theater. Perfect for resting. Luckily, the movie was almost over.

Once the lights were back on, we all got up and left the theater. Everyone was chattering about the movie and how excited they were for the next one, Mockingjay, to come out. No one seemed to have noticed how close Cato and I were standing. Our arms were practically brushing against each other with every step we took. We strolled around the mall for about another hour before we decided to head back to Jackie's.

Once there, we basically just hung out some more. We talked, played games, watched more movies well into the night. We also ordered pizza for dinner. The typical high school weekend if I do say so myself. The only thing missing was the alcohol which thank goodness no one got. I feared the house wouldn't look the same if we had drinks going around. For some reason though, we still ended up crashing in Jackie's living room despite being completely sober. I bet we'd regret all this chilling tomorrow once it starts to kick in that the weekend's almost over and we actually have to start working on our homework. But hey, that's the life of a student.

* * *

AN: Not really sure what to feel about this chapter. More of a filler, really. I'll try to get another one posted ASAP since I probably won't be able to go online for awhile. Midterms next week! Wish me luck! :D

R&R :)

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except for the plot :)


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